Method of regulating humidity and temperature.



W. H. CARRIER. METHOD 0F RBGULATING HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE.

APPLICATION FILED 'MAY s1, 1911.

1,129,549. Patented 11611.23, 1915.

3 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

l i I :Kalff/722A' 2f/76551505. f Y

W. E. CARRIER. METHOD 0F REGULATING HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1911.

Patented Fb. 23, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

GIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIHIHIIIIIIID Inl/enfer.'

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W. H. CARRIER. METHOD or EEGULATING HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYSI, 1911.

1,1 29,549. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fnl/enfer.

51E-wh@ WILLIS H. CARRIER,

0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR TO BUFFALO FORGE COMPANY, 0F BUFFALO; NEW YORK.

METHOD 0F REGULATING HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE.

Specicaticn of Letters Patent.

Application filed 'May 31, 1911. Serial N O. 630,318.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIS citizen of the lUnited States, Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Regulating Hu'- midity and Temperature, of which the following is .a specification.

This invention relates to a method of regulating the humidity and temperature of air in one or more of the rooms of a build- H. CARRIER,

Y ing, whereby va definite percentage of humidume of the fsaturate ity can be maintained in the room or inclosure, notwithstanding iiuctuations in the room temperature, by regulating the room temperature with reference to the saturation temperature of humidified air which is suplied tothe room, so as to maintain a preetermined difference between these temperatures depending upon the desired relative humidity in the room. According to the herein described method, the room is supplied with saturated airv from which the free moisture has been eliminated,

and the humidity'of the air inthe room ,isl

controlled, preferably by regulating the vold air admitted to the is obtained through a which has ,two eleby the room temioom. This control differential thermostat ments aiiected respectively perature and the saturation temperature at the humidifier, and controls volume dampers fby which the quantity of saturated air sup- -plied to the room is increased or decreased,

so as to maintain the necessary diierence between the room temperature and the saturation temperature at the humidifier to givel the desired relative humidity.

'Preferably the air is saturated at` adesired fixed temperature, which is automatically maintained, whenever the Voutside wet bulbf temperature is` belowsaid saturation temperature, but when .the outsidewet bulbI temperature is abovesaid desiredminima;m;` saturation temperature thel air is 'simply saturated at thevlowest temperature ypossible without refrigeration, which is Vthe ytrue wet bulb temperature of theouts'ide ain, The air thus saturated is )introduced 'into' lthe room either at its saturationte'inperat'ure or at some increased temperature, 'producel by heating the saturated air before' admitting it to the room, when siichheating is residing at.

necessary to insure a sufficient room temperature and maintain the desired relative humidity. Vhen the vair is` introduced into the room at or -slightly above its saturation temperature it becomes a source of cooling and the relative humidity isJ increased by increasing the supply of air to reduce the temperature of the room, thus bringing it nearer to its dew point. Conversely, by decreasing the supply of air, the heat existing in the room, due to machinery, other sources, raises the temperature of the room, thus decreasing its relative humidity. 0n the contrary, when the previously saturated air supplied to the room is heated above the room temperature, the relative humidity is decreased by increasing the supply of air, which increases the difference between the dew point and the room'temperature, and is increased by reducing the supply of air. This obviously permits an accurate regulation of the room conditions through the control of its temperature with res ectto the dew point.'

uitable means are preferably provided whereby the action of the differential thermostat is reversed whenever the temperature of the saturated air is raised above the room temperature, thus permitting the samefdifferential thermostat to control the temperature and relative yhumidity in the room, whether the saturated air admitted is below `or Aabove the room temperature.

In this system the control at the humidifier for saturating perature is inde endent of the conditions in the room, but tiie temperature of the room isfmaintained at the required number of degrees "above the saturation temperature to give the desired relative humidity, which can lbe done by regulating the volume of warmor'cold saturated air introduced into the'room', inthe manner described, or by the automatic variation of other source of heat oiic'old in the room.

ln the accompanying drawings consisting of three sheets," Figure 1 is a sectional elevapartl-y diagrammatic, of any apparatus forcarrying out the method of humidity andtemperatUre 'regulation embodying this inuention. lFig. 2 is an elevation of the differential thermostat and associated parts. if: a diagram' of a modified apparatus.

Patentedreb. 23, 19115.`

the air at a definite tem- Referring first to Fig. 1, A, A" represent the rooms of a building to which saturated air is suppliedfrom a humidifier B through suitable ducts or passages c, o c2 by an air propelling fan or device C. The humidifier may be of any suitable sort adapted to p'roduce perfect saturation of the air, for instance, it vcomprises a spray chamber through which the air is drawn by the fan and which is filled with a finely divided spray or mist of Water by a group of suitable spray nozzles b,and is provided with an eliminator b adapted to remove the free moisture from the saturated air. ,The spray water is conveniently supplied to the spray nozzles by a pump D which takes the Water from a collecting well in the bottom of the spray chamber, so that the samewater is circulated and used repeatedly.

E represents a thermostat which regulates the temperature inthe humidifier so as to saturate the air at a predetermined temperature. ln the apparatus illustrated the water is heated by a steam injector F and the thermostat 'E is located in the humidifier and vcontrols the steam supply valve f of the inj ector by regulating the pressure in a pipe f by which compressed air for actuating the steam supply. valve f is conveyed thereto from a supply tank f2. The-thermostat E is adjusted to maintain the desired saturation temperature. and operates automatically through the medium of the compressed air to control the action .of the injector'v F to vary the temperatureof the spray l*water as required for this purpose. The thermostat operates thus only when the'wet bulb temperature of the outside'air is below the desired saturation temperature. When the outs1de wet bulb temperature rises rabove the desired saturation temperature the air is saturated at the lowest temperature pos-` ducts sible without refrigeration. V

G represents a' heater of any suitable sort for heating the saturated air before admit- 'txngiit'yto the room, when this is necessary in'oraderto obtain a ture.` .Tlie'temperature to which thisheater ralsesvthe airis regulated by a steam supply valve g underthe' control of a thermostat as ehereinafter explained. I,

H, H represent dampers controlling' the y c', c2' which supply the saturated air tothe rooms. The damper ,H for ythe room A is actuated by a pressure-operated diaphragm or motor z under the control .of a differential thermostatic regulator I and the damper H for the other room is similarly operated by a diaphra m or motor under vthe control of a `di erential thermostatic regulator I. The thermostatic regulator for each room has a thermal element which is infiuenced by the room temperature and another thermal element which is influenced suflicient room tempera-` the thermostatic regulator for each room has an elementi containing eXpansible fluid, which Vis located in the room so asl to be in- Huenced by the temperature thereof, and an element i also containing eXpansible fluid, which is located in the humidifier where it is influenced by the temperature of the saturated air after it passes the eliminator. A single element z" in the humidifier, common to all of the thermostats, is sufficient and only one is used. The elements .i and z" are connected by pipes 2 and 3 respectively to two diaphragme or motors 7c and /c which act in opposition to each other on a regulating lever K at opposite sides of the fulcrum thereof. The expansion and pressure of the fluid in the elements 'z' andv z" varies with changes in the temperatures affecting theA elements and the regulating lever K is held stationary or moved in one direction or the other depending upon the relative fiuid ressures in the diaphragms k Za. The lever K carries valves a 1c* at its opposite ends which control bleeder or escape ports Z and ll` in two branches m m of a pipe M conother position it'closes the branch pipe'm so that then -the air for operating the damper H passes through the other branch pipe m and is regulated by the lever K cooperating with the other escape port l. A

thermostat O :of any suitable kind whichA is influenced by the room temperature controls the reversing valve, for instance by regulating the pressure of .ur in a lpipe o connecting the valve-actuating diaphragm n with the compressed air supply pipe m2. This thermostat also regulates the air pressure in a-pipe o leading to the pressure operated steam valve g 'of the air heater G,

for turning von and shutting off this heater.

One ,of Ithe elements of the differential thermostat, preferably the element z' that is located in ,the room, is adapted to be distended; and collapsed for changing its capacityI .'B'y adjusting this element z' by a Ascrew Pl the thermostat can be Set to maintain! 4.glider-entf desiredv relative lhumid-itiesx,. which are indicated ,by a suitablycalibre'tedEV scalewitlrvahich a pointer p-attachedto the screw -coperates-.. f

The-,operation ofA the thermostatie =regu; lating .deviceis as follows, assumingthe reversing valve N to be 1n-the positi0n.`shovv,n by the same reference chai-.acteren in Fig. 2,. the heater G shut oi, se: that:i the humidified airV is; deliveredtothe roem attor slightlyz above its saturation temperature,

andthe thermal element adjusted to main- .i

ta in.:the Vrequired differencel between the temperatureof the room andthe saturationl temperature of the humidiied .air to give the desired relative -humidity. So long as.

this 'difference is maintained the positionofr,

lever vK 'tell open the regulating lever K Aand the air damper H will remain unchanged, f regardless fof whether or not the temperaturesofl the room and-ofthe saturated air fluctuate. J If the difference in. the temperatures' isrincreased,l

which results in-reducing. the relative humidity, the consequent relatively- .greater pressure fin.. the diaphragm k-.willicause the vthe escape portal imore orf` less. .Thiswill reduce the lair pressure. in the pipe M and operatin'g'diaphragm ofthe damper. H, thereby Vcausing the damper to open and admitmereJsaturated` air to.- the room. Since:the air has acooling eilt'ect-thisl results inI increasing-tire relative humidity. An increase inthe relative humidity alcove that for which'r the device is set will :pro-l duce an opposite-:movementvof the regulating leverandfair damper H so as to admit less fair. and decrease the relative ihumiditya Whenever the room temperature-fallshbelow the predetermined minimumdegree for which the thermostat O is set, the thermo stat ywill opera-te to turnen the heaterI G and shift-the reversin valve Neo` thatthe regulating lever K wil then "coperate with the escape port Z', insteadI ofthe port lin controlling= the air damper H. As the escape ports'lfand ll 'sides of the ffulcrum of the lever, 'the same action of the regulating device, which before caused a reduction in the supply` of humidiied Aair tof-the room, l'will noviT cause an increase-'in the supply of heated humidiii'ed air and, therefore, produce the opposite eiiectbn the relative humidity. When the room temperature' is.y restored to I'the desiredv degree the thermostat C)V will again reverse the action of the regulator and shut oli the heater G. Thus the one diierential thermostatic regulator operates to properly regulate the y'temperature and relative humidity,vvhether the air admitted is below or above the room temperature;

Theregulating device for the rooml A', or for each of the other rooms, in case more thantwo rooms are equipped With the regulating means, operates to control the Aair predetermined I-:adrrssientdamper i and gisaconnectedf ,to

thermestatic elements and fatothe demper l :actuatin .diaphragm land tgl-the compressed air supp yinfthe samevmanneras' the regullatorlI described:the` correspondnggparts of .the two regulating devices being designated The re- '.versingmalveN of-,the regulatfnali Ais, however, connected teau-d cperatedf-.by'the ther.-

mostat AQ, instead of bya separate thermostat Vlocated in the room A. v.

Fig; 3.y illustrates an application ofthe -apparatus in.y which the humidified airis not heated .and .the regulationy of the room. temperature :With referencevto'the .saturation temperature effected-thy controlling a heaterin the room and the volume of satusof ratedzair. admittedto the room. In thisfari vrangement the diierential thermostatic reg- ;ulator I2 `operatingdiaphragmsk1k just asv` before, but the regulatingY lever K? only controls one escape port Z2 in a compressedair supply pipe m3. )This`v pipe has a-branch m4 leading- .to the operating l'diaphragm h for the damper Hvanda branch mi leading to thelsteam valve Q 3" actuating diaphragm of the 'of a-"radiator or heater g, located in the ummm.` The branch pipes m4 and-fm,5 are provided With pressure operated-valves'R 'and fR respectively, .which are controlled b v a lthermostat -S- located infthe room.v In thisapparatus the dierential regulator I2 conhas elements i and z'. arranged and ytrols'the quantity `of saturated air admitted -to the room, and'also-controls lthe heaterl g to 'regulate the room temperature.y vIf a predetermined maximum room temperatureis 'reached the thermostat S- Will operateto aclmit compressedy air to the diaphragme of the valves -R- and R", which"l will operate the A lattertocut o'l" the compressed air from the heater valve Q and admitthe compressed` air to the damper actuating diaphragm h. r-lhe differential thermostat I2 will then conare located at opposite trol the humidity and room temperature by regulatingv the volume of the saturated air admitted to the room inthe -`manner ex- -plained in connection with the first apparatus. When' the room temperature falls to a Ipredetermined degree, the thermostat S will v act to reverse the position'or` the valvesR and R,'thereby cutting olil the compressed air from the damper diaphragm h and nd- 'mittin it to the diaphragm` of the heater valve The heater is thus turned on and will raise the temperature of the' room until the required temperature is restored, When the thermostat S will operate asbefore to shift the control to the air damper H.

I claim as my invention: 1. The herein described method of regulating the humidity in an inclosure, consistying ini supplying tousaid inclosure humidied air'which has been saturated With moisperature in said inclosure so as to maintain a substantially constant dilerence between the same and the saturation temperature of said humidied air, substantially as set Q The herein described method of regulating the humidity in an inclosure, consistmg 1n supplying to said inclosure .humidified air which has been saturated with moisture and automatically regulating the quan.

tity of said humidified air admitted to the inclosure so as to maintain a substantially constant difference between the temperature in the inclosure and the saturation temperature of said humidiied air, substantially as set forth..

3. The herein described method .of regulating the humidity in an inclosure,l consisting insupplying to said inclosure humidifiedv air which has been saturated with moisture and automatically regulating the quantity of said humidied air admitted to the inclosure by means controlled by the temperature in the inclosure and the saturation temperature of saidl humidified air, so as to maintain a substantially constant difference between said temperature in the inclosure and said saturation temperature, lsubstantially as set forth. l 4 a 4. The herein described method of regulating the humidity in an inclosure, consisting in supplying tosaid inclosure humidified air which has been saturated with moisture and automatically regulating the quantity'of said'humidiied air admitted to the inclosure by a thermostatic regulating device'having thernial elements influenced respectively by the temperature in the inclosure and the saturation temperature of said humidified air, so as to maintain a substantially constant difference between the temperature in the inclosure and said saturation temperature, substantially as set forth.

5. The hereinv described method of regulating the humidity in an inclosure', consist ing in supplying to said inclosure humidifled air which has been saturated with moisture, regulating the temperature in the -humidifier to maintain a substantially fixed saturation. temperature therein when the outside vwet bulb temperature is below saidsaturation temperature, andmaintaining a substantially constant difference between the temperature'in said inclosure and said saturation temperature by automatically regulating the temperature in the inclosure, substantially as set forth.

6. The herein described method of regulating the humidity in an inclosure, consisting in supplying to said inclosure humidifiedL air which has been saturated with moisture, regulating the temperature of said humidified air after saturationto secure a le-l sired temperature in said inclosure, and maintaining a substantially constant relative humidity in said" inclosure by maintaining a substantially constant difference between the temperature in the inclosure and the saturation temperature of said humidied air by automatically regulating the quantity of humidified air admitted to the mclosure, the quantity of humidiied air admitted to the inclosure being increased to increase the relative humidity when the huthe inclosure, and thequantity of humidiied air admitted to the inclosure being increased to reduce the relative humidity when the humidiied air has a temperature higher than the inclosure, substantially as set forth.

7.- The herein-described method of regu'- lating the humidity in an inclosure, consisting in supplying to said inclosure air previouslysaturated with moisture, and maintaining a predetermined difference between the temperature in the inclosure -and. the saturation temperature of said air by regulating the quantity of said airadmitted to the inclosure, substantially as set forth.

8. The herein described method of regulating the humidity in lan inclosure, consisting in supplying to said inclosure air previously saturated with moisture, and regulating the temperature in said inclosure to midied air has a temperature lower than 1 maintain a predetermined `relation between A the temperature in said lnclosure and the v saturation temperature ofsaid air admitted to the inclosure, substantially as set forth.

9. The herein described method of regulating the humidity in an inclosure, consisting in supplying to said inclosure air which is saturated at a temperature which is maintained substantially constant when the outside wet bulb temperatureis below such saturation temperature, and regulating the temperature in the vinclosure to maintain a lpredetermined difference between the same and said saturationtemperature,4 substantially as set forth.

10. The herein'described method of regu- ,lating the humidity in an inclosure, .consisting in supplying to said inclosure air previously saturated with moisture, regulating a vthe temperature of said humidied air after saturation to secure a desired temperature in gsaid inclosure, and: maintaining a substanf'tiallly constant relative humidity in said inclosure by regulating the quantity of said humidified air admitted to the inclosure to maintain a predetermined difference between the temperature. in the inclosure' and the saturation temperature of said humidied`air, the quantity of humidified air ad- .mitted to the inclosure being increased to miclied air has a, temperature lwer than Witness my hand this 27th day ofiMay, the inclosure, and the quantity of humidiiedl 1911.

air admitted to the inclosure being increased WILLIS H. CARRIER. to reduce the relative humidity when the hu- Witnesses: v 5 midied air has a temperature higher than CfW. PARKER,

the inclosure, substantially as setforth. A. L. MOGEE. 

